Satanism at the Olympics?

 

I will not argue for one side or the other as to whether the intent of certain portions of the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies was to mock Christianity, but I have three thoughts about the controversy.

First, this is a sign of the ongoing self-inflicted decline of Christian culture. Even those who claim the Opening Ceremonies weren't meant to offend anyone, have as their explanation that it was a celebration of a pagan past. That leaves it open to charges of "satanism" even if there had been no resemblance to Da Vinci's Last Supper. 

For many Christians, especially vocal American Christians that I see on social media, anything that isn't from their brand of Christian theology is satanic. Even other Christian churches are, in their eyes, satanic. Paganism? Definitely.   

Regardless of whether it's "satanic," the celebration of a pagan past does suggest a loss of Christian cultural hegemony that's been apparent in France for a while, and throughout much of Europe for decades. It shouldn't be surprising. As I've written elsewhere:

Europe is filled with battlefield graves of those who answered the "Christian" duty to be good citizens (or loyal subjects) and were killed by other Christian soldiers from other countries who answered the same call of duty.

One could argue that World War I and II proved that Christendom, or the "Christian culture" that prevailed in Europe, utterly failed. 

It's understandable that the children of those wars drifted away from institutions like the Church and even, to some degree, the nation-state (in favor of the European Union). It's taking longer in America, but the cultural hegemony Christianity once enjoyed is losing ground here as well. 

Those who follow Christianity as a faith or a spiritual path wouldn't be bothered by it, but it can be upsetting to those for whom it is a matter of cultural identity.

Second, I wish more people were like Mormons. The musical The Book of Mormon relentlessly made fun of Mormonism, but Mormons took it in stride.

That is to say, they didn't have a persecution complex. Instead, they encouraged people to read the source material, the actual Book of Mormon. I don't believe in Mormon teachings, but I admired this response.

Perhaps the best response of Christians to the opening ceremonies, if there was to be a response at all, was to encourage people to read about the Last Supper and all that went on before and after it. That is, to read the Gospels. The whining and complaining I saw instead, which communicated a self-pitying sense of persecution, was embarrassing.

Third, Satanic is as Satanic does. Three years ago I wrote about the rituals of abuse and humiliation surrounding the TSA's airport screenings.

I suspect TSA policies exist to break our spirit. The shoe removal, the taking of personal belongings and throwing them into the garbage right in front of us, the invasive pat-downs are intended to make us feel weak and helpless. If we become accustomed to being victimized, we might come to think of it as normal. We may ourselves be willing to take a government job and victimize others.

TSA screenings, then, are a form of ritual abuse, and I can see why some conspiracy theorists believe the Bushes, Obama, Trump, and Biden are all Satanists. They've presided over the systematic humiliation of the American people, which is evil indeed. TSA methods aren't the only indignities we face, but are among the most visible.

While the ritual abuse is real - it's right in front of us - it's questionable whether to call it Satanic. If "Satanic" is merely a catch-all word for anything evil, then it's accurate. On the other hand, I doubt open, self-proclaimed Satanists would ever implement something like the TSA; unlike the nominally Christian Presidents who created and administered the TSA, I'd more likely trust avowed Satanists to protect individual rights.

It's not just at the airports, of course. It's in the wars "we" (our government) starts, the inflation the Federal Reserve causes by creating new money out of thin air, and the countless federal and state laws and regulations that get honest people into trouble.

We don't need to look for Satanism in stage productions. We see it in how our governments treat people.

James Leroy Wilson writes The MVP Chase (subscribe) and JL Cells (subscribe) and is a monthly columnist at Meer. Thank you for your subscriptions and support! You may contact James for writing, editing, research, and other work: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.